On the 9th the Japanese send an air raid against Horn Island which destroys an alarmingly large portion of the remaining supplies there. On the 10th USAAF fighters were staged in. My crafty opponent seemed to anticipate that - a night bombardment & a daytime fighter sweep killed @ 10 planes and left 17 damaged on the runway. I'm preparing to defend further - Horn Island has given the Japanese two bloody noses so far.

Java

Dutch forces are "consolidating". Not retreating, dammit!

Burma

Prome falls. More of an update later.

South China

Quixote is trying to surround my forces currently investing Canton. I was a little slow to react to this - the next turn or two could be decisive.

Central China

A few turns ago 4 IJA tank regiments took Ankang and seem to be marching forward - either towards the Chungking area or the oilfields at Lanchow. Trying to prepare against both. In about a week I should have enough forces at Sian to launch a counter-offensive against Ankang (right now intel reports only one unit there).

I'm not sure who is surrounding who here! We're both blocking each other's supply lines. I mostly like my position here: the IJA has stopped advancing for a while, I might even be able to launch Operation Vodka.

Anyone have any idea how the KB will be doing for fuel and on system damage? It's been hanging around New Caledonia/Australia for @ 2+ weeks now & from the best I can tell has done 2 full-speed sprints.

In the meantime an ad-hoc USAAF/USMC group at Noumea does not launch against nearby Japanese shipping. They remain on naval/port attack. At Sydney 40+ B-26s are also ordered onto naval attack and some escorts are scraped up in case KB stays within 6 hexes or so.

I re-read some old combat reports. I think KB is currently only operating with 4 carriers. (Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, Suikaku.) Both Kaga & Zui have eaten sub-launched torpedoes. @ 80 fighters & 170 bombers. Baby KB certainly has less than that though combined they may have 100-120 fighters & 300 bombers. The 4 USN CVs are carrying @ 140 fighters & 240 bombers when considering the USMC squadrons aboard. If I can engage either separately from the other I think I have good odds. While Task Force 16 is still 2-3 days distant they've been ordered to approach.

The Japanese are starting to mop up bases on North Sumatra. (West Sumatra? Northwest Sumatra?) Dutch forces here have mostly been evacuated to reinforce Port Blair and more recently Little Andaman. The last two Dutch squads will load & leave tonight.

South China

IJA forces have launched a credible threat to surround the Chinese at Canton. I probably should have started to withdraw a couple turns a ago - we'll see what happens. AVG did stage a successful intercept over the critical hex - for the day the Japanese lost 50 planes to 20 allied. A2A was 38 Japanese vs 12 allied. 2nd Lt J.G. Bright of 2nd Squadron AVG just became the first allied triple ace of the war.

ORIGINAL: ctangus I re-read some old combat reports. I think KB is currently only operating with 4 carriers. (Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, Suikaku.) Both Kaga & Zui have eaten sub-launched torpedoes. @ 80 fighters & 170 bombers. Baby KB certainly has less than that though combined they may have 100-120 fighters & 300 bombers. The 4 USN CVs are carrying @ 140 fighters & 240 bombers when considering the USMC squadrons aboard. If I can engage either separately from the other I think I have good odds.

Chuck, if so and it isn't a bait itself, I say: ATTACK KB. Position your CVs close to your port to achieve extra CAP + possibility of LBA's strike against KB, that will surely engage and react closing to the trap. This way you have the opportunity to damage all 4 carriers. Add your SS well positioned both on the path towards your TF AND possible retreat route. If you can choose the time of encounter, choose bad weather conditions 'cos you don't want a mutual annihilation here... With the leaking CAP as it is half of your bombers shall get through no matter what. Your CVs will surely be damaged too, but being close to your major port brings you great benefit! Imho better use more DBs than TBs to damage the deck and let them burn...

Hi! Thanks for the advice - after our game I'm always nervous about using USN CVs!

I had confirmation this turn that KB only has those 4 CVs (Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, Shokaku) - my B-26s launched. No hits but they broke through KB's CAP - mutliple attacks vs only those 4 CVs. The only CAP was from the 4 CVs + a small land-based group. KB also launched an attack against a transport TF - attack planes were all from those 4 CVs.

Zuikaku might be with Baby KB - certainly her fighters are beacuse they were flying LRCAP over Koumac this last turn.

quote:

Position your CVs close to your port to achieve extra CAP + possibility of LBA's strike against KB, that will surely engage and react closing to the trap. This way you have the opportunity to damage all 4 carriers. Add your SS well positioned both on the path towards your TF AND possible retreat route. If you can choose the time of encounter, choose bad weather conditions 'cos you don't want a mutual annihilation here... With the leaking CAP as it is half of your bombers shall get through no matter what. Your CVs will surely be damaged too, but being close to your major port brings you great benefit! Imho better use more DBs than TBs to damage the deck and let them burn...

I might be able to lure KB towards Noumea by landing reinforcements there. Noumea's only a level 2 port but Auckland isn't far away & is level 7 & expanding. I have at least one AR nearby. I still don't have many subs but I'm sending a lot of them to the area. More of an update once I get the turn back to my opponent.

2 USMC DB squadrons launch from Noumea against Koumac. SBD-1s are escorted - don't accomplish much but mostly live. A squadron of Vindicators goes in and is slaughtered. One good bit of intelligence: Zuikaku's fighters were flying LRCAP over Koumac. I'm not sure if Zui is still around or the fighters were transferred to Baby KB:

Near Sydney B-26s escorted by P-39Ds launch in several uncoordinated attacks against KB. I lose roughly half of the 44 B-26s I had. I don't start receiving replacements until next month.

Not a single hit against KB. Overall air losses this turn were 52 allied vs 13 Japanese. Hopefully I scared my opponent though. Some good intelligence too: as mentioned just above I've confirmed that KB is now operating with only 4 fleet carriers.

Baby KB has disappeared but at the very least it's within LRCAP range of Koumac.

After standing off for a few turns Task Force 16 is ordered into the area. Perhaps I'll have a chance to tangle with a small KB. At the very least TF 16 should be able to successfully escort some reinforcements & supplies into Noumea.

Just got the replay for 2/15 and should get the turn soon - I'll try to do an update or two before I see the turn. The main allied attention remains on...

South Pac

Baby KB remains unspotted and for the first turn in many turns so does KB. A Jap cruiser TF that was with KB was spotted 17 hexes from Noumea - possibly in range of a bombardment there in two turns. Not knowing exactly where KB is I ordered TF 16 9 hexes SE of Noumea. The SAG attached could be in range to intercept a bombardment.

A P-40E sweep over Koumac nets 8 A6M2s for 2 P-40s, however the airfield does expand to size 1. 6 Japanese units enter Noumea. Queen Elizabeth arrives at Auckland and will start unloading the lead elements of the Americal Division. The question remains - can I get them to Noumea safely?

I have a ton of naval search covering the area but weather remains bad & the only IJN TF spotted consists of BBs heading southwest. Sent to provide fuel for KB maybe? It did two 16-hex sprints without refueling. Oh - there's also a transport TF heading towards Koumac. USMC dive bombers are ordered to Noumea to attack the transports.

Task Force 16 remains unspotted. Task Group 16.5 (cruiser SAG) is ordered to bombard Noumea and/or maybe intercept encroaching Japanese. The rest of TF 16 will head to within 6 hexes of Noumea. Each CV has one slow BB escorting. This will put the BBs within sprinting distance of Noumea of I decide to split them off.

Events proved anti-climactic. Looking back I had a chance of engaging KB on favorable turns on the 14th. However my intel was spotty & I probably only had a one-day window where my CVs were both close enough to engage & I could also outnumber KB. By the 15th KB started sailing with Baby KB again & I now believe Kaga has repaired & rejoined Combined Fleet.

The bombardment TF I had ordered to Noumea ended up in disaster on the 15th. Instead of retreat orders I had left them on patrol/do not retire orders. For some reason they never bombarded - & KB air devastated them while they were loitering around. I lost two Brooklyn class CLs & 2 modern destroyers. ARRRGHH!!!

KB also launched 2-3 airstrikes against Noumea & there was one ground attack on the 16th: Japanese Shock attack

How close is that? If my cruisers had actually performed their orders & bombarded I'm sure they would have reduced the Japanese adjusted AV by at least 1 point. C'est la guerre.

Supply is very problematic on Noumea right now. I had a number of troop reinforcements on ships ready to reinforce Noumea but I'm going to let them disembark for the moment. I will try to fight some supplies through & if that's successful I'll send in some reinforcements one unit at a time.

I'm far from certain but I believe KB is finally going back to port in order to resupply.

Horn Island has frustrated the Japanese so far & some Aussie cruisers tried to escort a supply TF there. With low moonlight an IJN TF avoids the Aussie cruisers & sinks all the transports without anything unloaded:

Ugh. It deserves a detailed update but since it's so ugly I don't really want to. More detailed report sooner or later.

China

Perversely China remains the lone allied theater that I'm really happy about. In the Gobi desert the glorious Chinese route an IJA recon regiment. Near Canton the Chinese not only escape an encirclement attempt but put some hurt on the IJA division that was trying to do so:

KB has now been out of sight for 3 turns. It must be going back to port to replenish. I'm not sure how far back the IJN needs to go - Tulagi is now port size 3. Is that enough to replenish air sorties if there's an AE there? Might be going to Rabaul or even Truk too. May even intend to use it somewhere else. Dunno, sending out subs to scout & maybe provide some intel.

More reinforcements have been landed at Samoa & Fiji. Noumea's essentially out of supply now but more is close by: an amphib TF is 2 days out with 7200 supply, a fast transport TF is 3 days out with 1500 and a transport TF is 5 days out with 9600. 2 SAGs will provide night naval cover. I'm not going to try to provide air cover. Quixote has no offensive airfields nearby. So I either won't need aircover or will likely be overwhelmed by a KB/Baby KB combination again.

If I can get some supply in and if my opponent doesn't continue to use KB in this area I think I can hold Noumea. We'll see. The last ground combat on the 21st was a cause for modest optimism:

This is going relatively well. In the south Chiang Kai Shek's forces route an IJA Div outside Canton. I might reinvest there - haven't decided yet. The Chinese also continue to surround two IJA units & the last deliberate attack gets the best odds to date:

Further east things are mostly stalemated which I consider good: more training opportunity for the Chinese. An IJA unit shows up near Changsha - not much of a threat. 4 units pop up near my troops outside Nanchang. That could be more problematic.

Quixote has sent several tank units west of Nanyang to sweep into my rear. I think I'll be ok here. 3 tank units just entered Kungchang but they'll be faced by 130 AV already there plus another 240 AV & one of the two Chinese AT Regts. (The latter 2 will still be in move mode next turn.)

Closer to Sian 240 AV of Chinese & the second Chinese AT Regt just met up with another IJA tank regiment in clear territory. A shock attack is ordered. If that goes well I'll try to close the door behind the Japanese at Kungchang.

I recommend you consider doing the following on Java: What squadrons you have left are probably not accomplishing much now. If there are any recruits available, put your best pilots in general reserve, replace them with recruits and withdraw the units. The reserve pilots will be available to Dutch squadrons that appear in Oz. I don't know for a fact if the squadrons themselves reappear in Oz, Capetown or India in sixty days, but it serves no purpose to have them destroyed on the ground.

I recommend you consider doing the following on Java: What squadrons you have left are probably not accomplishing much now. If there are any recruits available, put your best pilots in general reserve, replace them with recruits and withdraw the units. The reserve pilots will be available to Dutch squadrons that appear in Oz. I don't know for a fact if the squadrons themselves reappear in Oz, Capetown or India in sixty days, but it serves no purpose to have them destroyed on the ground.

That's a good idea, Mr. Lizard. I've now done so. Don't the squadrons reappear somewhere in the Gorn Confederation?

Most of the Dutch squadrons are permanently restricted at start though. Any idea if they remain so?

My resupply efforts of Noumea have some success but not without cost. On the 23rd Koumac became a level 2 airfield (and I didn't notice it). On the 24th the first resupply convoys start to unload but are attacked by Vals based on Koumac. A New Zealand AMC on fast transport duty was sunk outright. A USN xAK was mortally wounded. @3000-4000 supply did get to shore though.

On the 25th now that there were supplies ashore, USMC & USAAF fighters were sent in to provide CAP. Two SAGs (one USN, one NZ) rushed in to provide some cover against a Japanese SAG lurking nearby. The NZ cruisers never found the enemy but the USN did and the slow BBs saw their first action of the war. They inflicted absolutely no damage & received some minor damage in return. It would have been nice to inflict some damage but they kept the IJN away from the transports at least.

The CAP proved modestly effective. Air losses were 12:7 in the allies favor but enough Vals got through to sink 2 more xAKs.

On the 26th the Japanese fly a sweep over Noumea. A2A losses for the day were 12:9 in favor of the Japanese. They also try a deliberate attack and the allies hold:

@9000 supply is on shore at Noumea now. It was down to 7 a few days ago with several units in the red too. I've now loaded an air HQ to send in as a reinforcement. If that gets in safely I'll try to establish air superiority & send in more ground troops. Two regiments of the Americal Div are now on shore at Auckland.

Of course if KB comes back Noumea will be doomed. However that would give more time to build the defenses in Northern Oz & India.

We're out of supply, the airfield's closed & Netties are flying out of PM. I'd like to get some supply in there but I'd need to commit CVs. It's been nice to slow down the IJN there but I don't think it's worth much further effort.

Java

It's so ugly I don't really want to update it. I will say this: I'm in danger of losing my last base & my last 25K supply on the island. Next update I'll post more.

Philippines

Bataan falls. That ends any allied presence on Luzon.

Allied forces do continue their vain struggle on Mindanao & few other locations in the central Philippines.

3 IJA tank units have surprised me in clear terrain near Sian. They have a one-turn window to route 210 AV there. 600 AV reinforcements arrive in 2 turns. I do have an AT gun regiment there so maybe that will help.

I recommend you consider doing the following on Java: What squadrons you have left are probably not accomplishing much now. If there are any recruits available, put your best pilots in general reserve, replace them with recruits and withdraw the units. The reserve pilots will be available to Dutch squadrons that appear in Oz. I don't know for a fact if the squadrons themselves reappear in Oz, Capetown or India in sixty days, but it serves no purpose to have them destroyed on the ground.

That's a good idea, Mr. Lizard. I've now done so. Don't the squadrons reappear somewhere in the Gorn Confederation?

Most of the Dutch squadrons are permanently restricted at start though. Any idea if they remain so?

I'll report back as soon as I know. I'm down to only Soerbaja left in the DEI with many sqds due to return in about 40 days. Obviously I haven't tried this tactic before. In a previous game (against the AI) I did evacuate a Dutch HQ and some other LCUs, I failed to this time but don't know if that makes any difference.

Due to the upcoming Mayan Apocalypse this may be this AAR's last update.

South Pac/SW Pac

Most the action is around here.

Near PM/Horn Island/Townsville the KB shows up for 3 days and makes multiple attacks against Aussie cruisers that were trying to get supply into Horn Island. Two cruisers are sunk and one is heavily damaged. To add insult to injury Horn Island finally falls on the 2nd.

At Noumea Japanese troops launch an assault on the 1st and come closer to breaking through the defenders' lines:

Then on the 2nd Japanese air at Koumac attacks allied cruisers shepherding an Air HQ into Noumea. CAP shoots down a few planes but CA New Orleans & CL Helena take damage that will keep them out of the war a month or two at least.

Some revenge on the 3rd as the remaining allied cruisers stay on station:

I thought I had spotted KB heading east towards Rabaul but this last turn I spotted a task force allegedly of transports in an odd location for them. Two days steaming from where I last definitely spotted KB. Hmmm...

I'll try to update other theaters later tonight. The little admiral is about to drag me to a Christmas party.

At least some of KB is approaching New Caledonia. Wish I had a little more confidence in my patrol planes at the moment. It looks weak but I suspect it's much stronger.

La Foa has been abandoned by the Japanese and was just auto-occupied by the allies. I had already been prepping a USMC para battalion for that base and am now flying them in. Hopefully this will help Noumea hold for a bit.